Daft Punk

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, techno, rock and synth-pop. They are regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music.

Daft Punk formed after their previous group, the indie rock band Darlin', disbanded. They were managed from 1996 to 2008 by Pedro Winter, the head of Ed Banger Records. Their debut album, Homework, was released by Virgin Records in 1997 to positive reviews, backed by the singles "Around the World" and "Da Funk". From 1999, Daft Punk assumed robot personas for public appearances, with helmets, outfits and gloves to disguise their identities. They made few media appearances. Daft Punk's second album, Discovery (2001), earned acclaim and further success, with the hit singles "One More Time", "Digital Love" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". It became the basis for an animated film, Interstella 5555, supervised by the Japanese artist Leiji Matsumoto.

Daft Punk's third album, Human After All (2005), received mixed reviews, though the singles "Robot Rock" and "Technologic" were successful in the UK. Daft Punk directed an avant-garde science-fiction film, Electroma, released in 2006. They toured throughout 2006 and 2007 and released the live album Alive 2007, which won a Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album; the tour is credited for broadening the appeal of dance music in North America. Daft Punk composed the score for the 2010 film Tron: Legacy.

In 2013, Daft Punk left Virgin for Columbia Records and released their fourth and final album, Random Access Memories, to acclaim. The lead single, "Get Lucky", reached the top 10 in the charts of 27 countries. Random Access Memories won five Grammy Awards in 2014, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Get Lucky". In 2016, Daft Punk gained their only number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Starboy", a collaboration with the Weeknd. Rolling Stone ranked them the 12th-greatest musical duo of all time in 2015, and included Discovery and Random Access Memories on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Daft Punk announced their split in 2021.

History

1987–1992: Early career and Darlin'

File:Daft Punk logo.svg

Daft Punk wordmark

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter met in 1987 while attending the Lycée Carnot secondary school in Paris.<ref name="MusiqueVol.1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="RFI Musique">Template:Cite web</ref> The two became friends and recorded demos with others from the school.<ref name="metamusique">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="FrenchConn">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1992, they formed the band Darlin', with Bangalter on bass, Homem-Christo on guitar,<ref name="metamusique"/><ref name="FrenchConn"/> and Laurent Brancowitz on guitar and drums.<ref name="ROBOPOP" /> The trio named themselves after the Beach Boys song "[[Darlin' (Beach Boys song)|DarlinTemplate:'-]]",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which they covered along with an original composition.<ref name="ROBOPOP" /> Both tracks were released on a multi-artist EP called Shimmies in Super 8 under Duophonic Records, a label owned by the London-based band Stereolab, who invited Darlin' to open for shows in the United Kingdom.<ref name="ROBOPOP" />

Darlin' disbanded after around six months, having played two gigs and produced four songs. Bangalter described the project as "pretty average".<ref name="Interview at Mixmag 1997">Template:Cite web</ref> Brancowitz formed another band, Phoenix.<ref name="Interview at Mixmag 1997" /> Bangalter and Homem-Christo formed Daft Punk, using electronic instruments purchased with money Bangalter received for his 18th birthday.<ref name="Lynskey-2013">Template:Cite news</ref> Their name was taken from a negative review of Darlin' in Melody Maker by Dave Jennings,<ref name="Raggett-2013">Template:Cite web</ref> who dubbed their music "a daft punky thrash".<ref name="Lynskey-2013" /><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band found the review amusing.<ref name="RFI Musique" /> Homem-Christo said, "We struggled so long to find [the name] Darlin', and [this name] happened so quickly."<ref name="DaftPulse">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

1993–1996: First performances and singles

File:Daft Punk Mixmag 1997.jpg

Mixmag cover feature in August 1997

In September 1993, Daft Punk attended a rave at EuroDisney organised by the DJ Nicky Holloway, where they met Stuart Macmillan of Slam, the co-founder of the Scottish label Soma Quality Recordings.<ref name="RFI Musique" /><ref name="weeguysDP">Daft Punk in Glasgow: Slam on 'the two quiet wee guys' who used to crash on their sofa Template:Webarchive, Jules Boyle, Glasgow Live, 24 February 2021</ref> They gave him a demo tape, which formed the basis for Daft Punk's debut single, "The New Wave", a limited release in 1994.<ref name="Interview at Mixmag 1997" /> The single also contained the final mix of "The New Wave" called "Alive", which appeared on Daft Punk's first album.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Daft Punk returned to the studio in May 1995 to record "Da Funk". After it became their first commercially successful single, they hired a manager, Pedro Winter, who regularly promoted them and other artists at his Hype nightclubs.<ref name="FrenchConn"/> They signed with Virgin Records in September 1996 and made a deal to license tracks through their production company, Daft Trax.<ref name="MusiqueVol.1" /><ref name="FrenchConn"/> Bangalter said that while they received numerous offers from record labels, they wanted to wait and ensure that they did not lose creative control. He considered the deal with Virgin more akin to a partnership.<ref name="Yahoo">Template:Cite web</ref>

In the mid-to-late nineties, Daft Punk performed live at various events, without the costumes they later became known for. In 1996, they made their first performance in the United States, at an Even Furthur event in Wisconsin.<ref>Daft Punk, live at Even Furthur 1996 Template:Webarchive driftglass.org. Retrieved 4 October 2008.</ref> In addition to live original performances, they performed in clubs using vinyl records from their collection. They were known for incorporating numerous styles of music into their DJ sets.<ref>Lisa Verrico, "Masked Groove-Riders", Blah Blah Blah (February 1997).</ref>

1997–1999: Homework

Daft Punk released their debut album, Homework, on January 20, 1997.<ref name="weeguysDP" /> That February, the UK dance magazine Muzik published a Daft Punk cover feature and described Homework as "one of the most hyped debut albums in a long long time".<ref>Bush, C. (1997), Frog Rock, Muzik, IPC Magazines Ltd, London, Issue No.21 February 1997.</ref> According to The Village Voice, the album revived house music and departed from the Eurodance formula.<ref name="vv">Woods, Scott (5 October 1999). "Underground Disco?" Template:Webarchive. The Village Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2012.</ref> The critic Alex Rayner wrote that it combined established club styles and the "burgeoning eclecticism" of big beat.<ref name="1001albums">Rayner, Alex (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. p. 812. New York, NY: Universe Publishing. 2006. Template:ISBN. Retrieved 8 May 2012.</ref> In 1997, Daft Punk embarked on an international concert tour, Daftendirektour, using their home equipment for the live stage.<ref name="Interview at Mixmag 1997" /> On 25 May, they headlined the Tribal Gathering festival at Luton Hoo, England, with Orbital and Kraftwerk.<ref>2 Cents: Kraftwerk, Tribal Gathering Template:Webarchive (25 May 1997). Retrieved 7 February 2007.</ref>

The most successful single from Homework was "Around the World". "Da Funk" was also included on The Saint film soundtrack. Daft Punk produced a series of music videos for Homework directed by Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Roman Coppola and Seb Janiak. The videos were collected in 1999 as D.A.F.T.: A Story About Dogs, Androids, Firemen and Tomatoes.

Bangalter and Homem-Christo created their own record labels, Roulé and Crydamoure, after the release of Homework, and released solo projects by themselves and their friends. Homem-Christo released music as a member of Le Knight Club with Eric Chedeville, and Bangalter released music as a member of Together with DJ Falcon and founded the group Stardust with Alan Braxe and Benjamin Diamond. In 1998, Stardust released their only song, the chart hit "Music Sounds Better With You".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

1999–2003: Discovery

Daft Punk's second album, Discovery, was released in 2001. They said it was an attempt to reconnect with the playful, open-minded attitude associated with the discovery phase of childhood.<ref name="ROBOPOP">Chris Gill, "Robopop" Template:Webarchive (May 2001) Remix Magazine Online. Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref> The album reached No. 2 in the UK, and its lead single, "One More Time", was a hit. The singles "Digital Love" and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" were also successful in the UK and on the US Dance Chart, and "Face to Face" hit number one on the US club play charts.

Discovery created a new generation of Daft Punk fans. It also saw Daft Punk debut their distinctive robot costumes; they had previously worn Halloween masks or bags for promotional appearances.<ref name="PitchforkInterview" /> Discovery was later named one of the best albums of the decade by publications including Pitchfork<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Resident Advisor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, Rolling Stone included it at number 236 in its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2021, Pitchfork cited Discovery as the centrepiece of Daft Punk's career, "an album that transcended the robots' club roots and rippled through the decades that followed".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Daft Punk partnered with the Japanese manga artist Leiji Matsumoto to create Interstella 5555, a feature-length animation set to Discovery. The first four episodes were shown on Toonami in 2001, and the finished film was released on DVD in 2003.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> That December, Daft Punk released Daft Club, a compilation of Discovery remixes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2001, Daft Punk released a 45-minute excerpt from a Daftendirektour performance as Alive 1997.<ref>Alive 1997 (liner notes). Daft Punk. Virgin Records, a division of Universal Music Group. 2001.</ref>

2004–2007: Human After All and Alive 2007

File:Daft Punk 2007.jpg

Daft Punk performing on the Alive 2006/2007 tour in July 2007

In March 2005, Daft Punk released their third album, Human After All, the result of six weeks of writing and recording.<ref>Human After All liner notes (2005). Retrieved 17 December 2007.</ref> Reviews were mixed, with criticism for its repetitiveness and darker mood.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Robot Rock", "Technologic", "Human After All" and "The Prime Time of Your Life" were released as singles. A Daft Punk anthology CD/DVD, Musique Vol. 1 1993–2005, was released on 4 April 2006. Daft Punk also released a remix album, Human After All: Remixes.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

On 21 May 2006, Daft Punk premiered a film, Daft Punk's Electroma, at the Cannes Film Festival sidebar Director's Fortnight.<ref name="ElectromaReview">Daft Punk's Electroma review Template:Webarchive Variety. Retrieved 26 February 2007.</ref> The film does not include Daft Punk's music. Midnight screenings were held in Paris theaters from March 2007.<ref name="DaftAllocine">Daft Punk's Electroma Screenings Info Template:Webarchive Template:In lang allocine.fr. Retrieved 11 April 2007.</ref>

For 48 dates across 2006 and 2007, Daft Punk performed the Alive 2006/2007 world tour, performing a "megamix" of their music from a large LED-fronted pyramid. The tour was acclaimed<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is credited for bringing dance music to a wider audience, especially in North America.<ref name="Szatan-2021">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Guardian journalist Gabriel Szatan likened it to how the Beatles' 1964 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show had brought British rock and roll to the American mainstream.<ref name="Szatan-2021" />

Daft Punk's performance in Paris was released as their second live album, Alive 2007, on 19 November 2007.<ref name="Spin.com">Exclusive: Daft Punk Unveil Live Album Details; Midlake to Release EP Template:Webarchive Spin. Retrieved 27 August 2007.</ref> The live version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" was released as a single,<ref name="Billboard">Live Album To Chronicle Daft Punk Tour Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2007. Template:Webarchive</ref> with a video by Olivier Gondry comprising audience footage of their performance in Brooklyn.<ref name="Sideline">Daft Punk Announce Live Album Template:Webarchive side-line.com. Retrieved 31 August 2007.</ref> In 2009, Daft Punk won Grammy Awards for Alive 2007 and its single "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2008–2011: Tron: Legacy

File:Djhero1.jpg

Daft Punk in DJ Hero

In 2007, Kanye West sampled "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" in his single "Stronger". Daft Punk made a surprise appearance at the 50th Grammy Awards on 10 February 2008, and performed a reworked version of "Stronger" with West at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.<ref name="DaftGrammy">Daft Punk Make Surprise Grammy Appearance with Kanye West Template:Webarchive NME. Retrieved 10 February 2008.</ref> It was the first televised Daft Punk live performance.<ref name="DaftGrammy"/>

In 2008, Daft Punk returned to Paris to work on new material. Winter also stepped down as their manager to focus attention on his Ed Banger Records label and his work as Busy P.<ref name="Studio">Daft Punk Are Back in the Studio Template:Webarchive inthemix.com. Retrieved 28 May 2008.</ref> He said later that Daft Punk were working with an unspecified management company in Los Angeles. Daft Punk held their Daft Arts production office at the Jim Henson Studios complex in Hollywood.<ref>Tron: Legacy's' orchestral score reveals a new side of Daft Punk Template:Webarchive. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 April 2013.</ref> Daft Punk provided new mixes for the 2009 video game DJ Hero, and appeared as playable characters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

At the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Daft Punk had composed 24 tracks for the film Tron: Legacy.<ref name="ComicCon">Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk's score was arranged and orchestrated by Joseph Trapanese.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band collaborated with him for two years on the score, from pre-production to completion. The score features an 85-piece orchestra, recorded at AIR Lyndhurst Studios in London.<ref name="TronDisneyStudio">Template:Cite web</ref> Joseph Kosinski, director of the film, referred to the score as a mixture of orchestral and electronic elements.<ref name="MTV">Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk also make a cameo as disc jockey programs wearing their trademark robot helmets within the film's virtual world.<ref name="Pitchfork-2010">Template:Cite web</ref> The soundtrack album was released on 6 December 2010.<ref name="TronSoundtrack">Official website of Tron Legacy's soundtrack Template:Webarchive. Retrieved 27 September 2010.</ref> A music video for "Derezzed" premiered on the MTV Networks on the same day the album was released.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The video, which features Olivia Wilde as the character Quorra in specially shot footage, along with images of Daft Punk in Flynn's Arcade, was later made available for purchase from the iTunes Store and included in the DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film. Walt Disney Records released a remix album, Tron: Legacy Reconfigured, on 5 April 2011.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

In 2010, Daft Punk were admitted into the Template:Lang, an order of merit of France. Bangalter and Homem-Christo were individually awarded the rank of Chevalier (knight).<ref name="FR2">"Daft Punk chevaliers des Arts et des Lettres !" Template:Webarchive by Laure Narlian, France 2 (24 August 2010). Retrieved 7 November 2010. (French)</ref> On October of that year, Daft Punk made a surprise guest appearance during the encore of Phoenix's show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. They played a medley of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" and "Around the World" before the song segued into Phoenix's song "1901". They also included elements of their tracks "Rock'n Roll", "Human After All", and "Together", one of Bangalter's releases as a member of Together.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They produced N.E.R.D.'s 2010 song "Hypnotize U".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2011–2015: Random Access Memories

File:RAMbillboard.jpg

Billboard in New York City promoting Random Access Memories in March 2013

In 2011, Soma Records released a previously unpublished Daft Punk track, "Drive", recorded while they were signed to Soma in the 1990s. It was included in a 20th-anniversary compilation of the Soma label.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2012, Daft Punk provided a 15-minute mix of songs by blues musician Junior Kimbrough for Hedi Slimane's Yves Saint Laurent fashion show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk recorded their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, with musicians including Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards, DJ Falcon, Panda Bear, Chilly Gonzales, Paul Williams, Pharrell Williams, Chic frontman Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV mediaTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk left Virgin for Sony Music Entertainment through the Columbia Records label.<ref name=Columbia>Template:Cite web</ref>

Random Access Memories was released on 17 May 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The lead single, "Get Lucky", became Daft Punk's first UK number-one single<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the most-streamed new song in the history of Spotify.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, Daft Punk debuted a trailer for their single "Lose Yourself to Dance" and presented the award for "Best Female Video" alongside Rodgers and Pharrell.<ref name="DaftVMAs">Template:Cite web</ref> In December, they revealed a music video for the song "Instant Crush", directed by Warren Fu and featuring Casablancas.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, Random Access Memories won the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronica Album, Album of the Year and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while "Get Lucky" received the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year. Daft Punk performed at the ceremony with Stevie Wonder, Rodgers, Pharrell, and the Random Access Memories rhythm players Nathan East, Omar Hakim, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Chris Caswell.<ref name="Grammys2014">Template:Cite magazine</ref> That night, Daft Punk hosted a large Grammys afterparty at the Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, with many celebrities and no photography allowed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Daft Punk co-produced Kanye West's sixth studio album, Yeezus (2013),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> creating the tracks "On Sight", "Black Skinhead", "I Am a God" and "Send It Up" with West.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They provided additional vocals for Pharrell's 2014 single "Gust of Wind".<ref>Pharrell Williams, G I R L liner notes (2014).</ref> On 10 March 2014, an unreleased Daft Punk song, "Computerized", leaked online. It features Jay-Z and contains "The Son of Flynn" from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it was once intended to be a single promoting Tron: Legacy or to serve as the end credits.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The song was never used in the final version of the film. In April 2015, Daft Punk appeared in a short tribute to Rodgers as part of a documentary on his life, Nile Rodgers: From Disco to Daft Punk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June, a documentary, Daft Punk Unchained, was released.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2016–2020: Final projects and appearances

File:DaftPunk NeverEverLand Sydney 2007.JPG

Light-up outfits worn at the encore of the Alive 2007 tour performances

Daft Punk appeared on the 2016 singles "Starboy" and "I Feel It Coming" by Canadian R&B singer the Weeknd;<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> "Starboy" topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Daft Punk's only US number-one song, and "I Feel It Coming" reached number four.<ref name="The Weeknd Chart History (Hot 100)">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Soma Records released a remix of "Drive" by Slam as part of a compilation featuring various artists.<ref name="Soma Records 1">Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2017, Daft Punk launched a pop-up shop in Hollywood, California, featuring memorabilia, artwork, and a display of their costumes.<ref>Take a look inside Daft Punk's pop-up shop/retrospective Template:Webarchive. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.</ref> They also performed with the Weeknd at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on 12 February 2017.<ref name="Grammy2017">The Weeknd, Daft Punk Sing 'I Feel It Coming' at 2017 Grammys Template:Webarchive. Variety. Retrieved 12 February 2017.</ref>

In the years following the Starboy collaborations, Bangalter and Homem-Christo worked solo as producers appearing on several projects.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 21 June 2017, the Australian band Parcels released the song "Overnight", produced and co-written by Daft Punk.<ref>Parcels Team With Daft Punk on New Song "Overnight": Listen Template:Webarchive. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 21 June 2017.</ref> It was written after Daft Punk saw Parcels perform and invited the members to their studio. This became Daft Punk's final production together.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Between 9 April and 11 August 2019, an electronic exhibition based on Daft Punk's song "Technologic" was displayed at the Philharmonie de Paris, featuring costumes, guitars and other elements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In early 2024, W. F. Quinn Smith, who played percussion on Random Access Memories, said he had participated in experimental recording sessions for a new Daft Punk album in early 2018, but that the project was in limbo.<ref name="W. F. Quinn Smith">Template:Cite web</ref>

2021–present: Disbandment

On 22 February 2021, Daft Punk released a video on their YouTube channel titled "Epilogue".<ref name="NME2021">Template:Cite news</ref> The video features a scene from their 2006 film Electroma, in which one robot explodes and the other walks away into the sunset; a title card created with Warren Fu reads "1993–2021" while an excerpt of Daft Punk's song "Touch" plays.<ref name="NME2021" /><ref name="NYT2021">Template:Cite news</ref> Later that day, Daft Punk's longtime publicist, Kathryn Frazier, confirmed that they had split, but did not give a reason.<ref name="NYT2021" /> The news led to a surge in Daft Punk sales, with digital album purchases rising by 2,650%.<ref name="RS2021">Template:Cite news</ref> Their friend and collaborator Todd Edwards confirmed that Bangalter and Homem-Christo remained active separately.<ref name="909Originals">Template:Cite web</ref> He later said they were "going in different directions", and that Homem-Christo was more drawn to hip-hop and Bangalter was interested in film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2023, Bangalter and Homem-Christo still shared a studio and equipment.<ref name="Woolfe-2023" />

On 22 February 2022, one year after their disbandment, Daft Punk announced a 25th-anniversary edition of Homework. It included a remix album, Homework (Remixes), which was also released separately. Daft Punk also broadcast a Twitch stream of their performance at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles from their 1997 Daftendirektour. The video featured previously unreleased footage of the duo without costumes. Daft Punk released behind-the-scenes "archives" from the D.A.F.T. DVD and album reissues throughout 2022.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On 12 May 2023, Daft Punk released a 10th-anniversary edition of Random Access Memories, with 35 minutes of previously unreleased outtakes and demos. "Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo)", featuring Casablancas and the Voidz, was released as a single.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was released alongside a music video and was called Daft Punk's "last song ever" in press releases.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 17 November, Daft Punk released a version of Random Access Memories with no drums or percussion.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In April 2023, Bangalter released a solo work, the orchestral ballet score Mythologies. He gave interviews about the project and allowed himself to be photographed without a mask. He cited concerns about the progress of artificial intelligence and other technology as to why Daft Punk split, saying: "As much as I love this character, the last thing I would want to be, in the world we live in, in 2023, is a robot." Bangalter said Daft Punk had wanted to not "spoil the narrative" while they were active, but now felt more comfortable revealing parts of their creative process.<ref name="Savage-2023">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Woolfe-2023">Template:Cite news</ref> Reflecting on the split, Bangalter said he was "relieved and happy to look back and say: 'Okay, we didn't mess it up too much.Template:' "<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 22 February 2024, the third anniversary of their split, Daft Punk announced a Twitch broadcast of Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A vinyl repress of the Discovery single "Something About Us" was released on Record Store Day in April 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A 4K remaster of Interstella 5555 premiered in June at Tribeca Festival.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The remaster was shown in global theaters for one weekend only in December.<ref name="Raggett-2013" />

Artistry

Musical style

Daft Punk's musical style has been described as house,<ref name="nytimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="AllMusic genres">Template:Cite news</ref> French house,<ref name="AllMusic genres"/> electronic,<ref name="PitchforkInterview"/> dance,<ref name="AllMusic genres"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and disco.<ref name="AllMusic genres"/><ref name="PitchforkInterview"/> Sean Cooper of AllMusic described it as a blend of acid house, techno, pop, indie rock, hip hop, progressive house, funk, and electro.<ref name="AllMusic genres"/>

The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis described their approach as magpie-like, with extensive sampling.<ref name="Szatan-2021" /> Homem-Christo described it as bricolage, the art of using found sounds to create new work.<ref name="Reesman2">Template:Cite web</ref> Bangalter said in 2008: "I think that sampling is always something that we've completely legitimately done. It's not something we've hidden, it's almost a partisan or ideological way of making music, sampling things and being sampled ... It's always been a way to reinterpret things—sometimes it's using [an] element from the past, or sometimes recreating them and fooling the eyes or the ears, which is just a fun thing to do."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

According to Pitchfork, some fans were disappointed to discover that Daft Punk used samples.<ref name="Patrin-2007">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, Rapster released Discovered: A Collection of Daft Funk Samples, a compilation of tracks sampled by Daft Punk.<ref name="Patrin-2007" /> Pitchfork wrote: "If [the compilation] proves anything, it isn't that Daft Punk are surreptitious thieves—it's that they're transformative reinterpreters, and in more than a few cases, flat-out miracle workers."<ref name="Patrin-2007" /> Daft Punk also used vintage equipment to recreate sounds by older artists, such as the use of a Wurlitzer piano to evoke Supertramp on "Digital Love".<ref name="mixonlineinterview">Bryan Reesman, Daft Punk interview Template:Webarchive Mix (magazine). Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref> They saw their style as retrofuturist, incorporating genres from earlier decades into what the New York Times described as "an increasingly grand vision of joyful populism".<ref name="Woolfe-2023" />

In the early 1990s, Daft Punk drew inspiration from rock and acid house in the UK. Homem-Christo referred to Screamadelica by Primal Scream as the record that "put everything together" in terms of genre.<ref name="Mixmag 2006">Suzanne Ely, "Return of the Cybermen" Mixmag, July 2006, pp. 94–98.</ref> In 2009, Bangalter named Andy Warhol as one of Daft Punk's early influences.<ref name="09interview">Template:Cite journal</ref> On the Homework track "Teachers", Daft Punk list musicians who influenced them, including the funk musician George Clinton, the rapper and producer Dr Dre, and Chicago house and Detroit techno artists including Paul Johnson,<ref name="Szatan-2021" /> Romanthony and Todd Edwards.<ref name="ROBOPOP" /> Homem-Christo said: "Their music had a big effect on us. The sound of their productions—the compression, the sound of the kick drum and Romanthony's voice, the emotion and soul—is part of how we sound today."<ref name="ROBOPOP" />

Discovery integrates influences from 70s disco and 80s crooners, and featured collaborations with Romanthony and Edwards. A major inspiration was the 1999 Aphex Twin single "Windowlicker", which Bangalter said was "neither a purely club track nor a very chilled-out, down-tempo relaxation track".<ref name="MTVeInterview">"Daft Punk Embark On A Voyage of Discovery" MTVe.com. Retrieved 22 February 2007.</ref> For the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, Daft Punk drew inspiration from Wendy Carlos, the composer of the original Tron film, as well as Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, John Carpenter, Vangelis, Philip Glass and Maurice Jarre.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Factmag">Template:Cite web</ref> For Random Access Memories, Daft Punk sought a "west coast vibe", referencing acts such as Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles,<ref name="Edwards">Template:Cite web</ref> and the French electronic musician Jean Michel Jarre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ROBOPOP" />

Many Daft Punk songs feature vocals processed with effects and vocoders including Auto-Tune, a Roland SVC-350 and the Digitech Vocalist.<ref name="ROBOPOP" /> Bangalter said: "A lot of people complain about musicians using Auto-Tune. It reminds me of the late '70s when musicians in France tried to ban the synthesiser. They said it was taking jobs away from musicians. What they didn't see was that you could use those tools in a new way instead of just for replacing the instruments that came before. People are often afraid of things that sound new."<ref name="ROBOPOP" />

Image

For most public and media appearances, Daft Punk wore costumes that concealed their faces.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bangalter said they wanted the focus to be on their music,<ref name="Canoe2" /> and that masks allowed them to control their image while retaining their anonymity and protecting their personal lives.<ref name="Interview at Mixmag 1997" /> He said that the 1974 film Phantom of the Paradise, in which the main character prominently wears a mask, was "the foundation for a lot of what we're about artistically".<ref>Daft Punk Gets Human With a New Album Template:Webarchive. The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2017.</ref><ref name="Hazlitt Jokinen">Template:Cite news</ref> Daft Punk were also fans of the 1970s band Space, who wore space suits with helmets that hid their appearance.<ref>The Moog Cookbook Were Daft Punk Before Daft Punk Template:Webarchive. LA Weekly. Retrieved 23 March 2017.</ref> The mystery of Daft Punk's identity and their elaborate disguises added to their popularity.<ref name="Mixmag 2006" />

File:ThomasBangalter028.jpg

Bangalter performing in 2006

Daft Punk wore masks during promotional appearances in the 1990s.<ref name="PitchforkInterview" /> Although they allowed a camera crew to film them for a French arts program at the time, Daft Punk did not speak on screen.<ref name="Jockey">'Template:Cite magazine</ref> According to Orla Lee-Fisher, the head of marketing at Virgin Records UK, in their early career Daft Punk only consented to photographs without masks while they were DJing.<ref name="ben-cardew">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1997, Bangalter said they had a rule to not appear in videos.<ref name="Canoe2">Template:Usurped canoe.ca. Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref>

In 2001, Daft Punk began wearing robot costumes for promotional appearances and performances for Discovery, debuted in a special presentation during Cartoon Network's Toonami block.<ref name="ToonamiDaft">Toonami: Digital Arsenal Template:Webarchive toonamiarsenal.com. Retrieved 14 April 2007.</ref> The helmets were produced by Paul Hahn of Daft Arts and the French directors Alex and Martin,<ref name="DailySwarm">Diehl, Matt. Human After All, Indeed: The Best Daft Punk Interview You Never Read Template:Webarchive. thedailyswarm.com. Retrieved 6 January 2014.</ref> with engineering by Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc. They were capable of various LED effects.<ref name="Disc liner">Liner notes of the Discovery album—"Bionics Engineering by Tony Gardner & Alterian"</ref> Wigs were originally attached to both helmets, but Daft Punk removed them moments before unveiling them.<ref name="PitchforkInterview">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Bangalter said the helmets were hot but that he became used to this.<ref name="Paper">Daft Punk and the Rise of the Parisian Nightlife Template:Webarchive Paper Magazine. Retrieved 4 November 2007.</ref> Later helmets were fitted with ventilators to prevent overheating.<ref name="lesinrocks2013">Les Inrockuptibles No. 910 (May 2013).</ref> The costumes were compared to the makeup of Kiss and the leather jacket worn by Iggy Pop.<ref name="Paper" />

File:Guy-Manuel028.jpg

Homem-Christo performing in 2007

With the release of Human After All, Daft Punk wore simplified helmets and black leather jackets and trousers designed by Hedi Slimane.<ref name="Mixmag 2006" /> Bangalter said Daft Punk did not want to repeat themselves and were interested in "developing a persona that merges fiction and reality".<ref name="ROBOPOP" /> On the set of Electroma, Daft Punk were interviewed with their backs turned, and in 2006 they wore cloth bags over their heads during a televised interview.<ref>Daft Punk Talk Electroma. While Wearing Bags On Their Heads. Template:Webarchive twitchfilm.net. Retrieved 6 March 2007.</ref> They said the use of cloth bags had been a spontaneous decision, reflecting their willingness to experiment with their image.<ref>Daft Punk Icelandic ELECTROMA Interview 2006 Template:Webarchive YouTube. Retrieved 11 February 2014.</ref> Daft Punk wore their robot costumes in their performances at the 2008, 2014, and 2017 Grammy Awards. During the 2014 ceremony, they accepted their awards on stage in the outfits, with Pharrell and Paul Williams speaking on their behalf.<ref>Daft Punk wins big at Grammy Awards Template:Webarchive. USA Today. Retrieved 24 January 2017.</ref><ref name="Grammy2017" />

Daft Punk used the robot outfits to merge the characteristics of humans and machines.<ref>Daft Punk interview in Japan (1/2) Template:Webarchive. Retrieved 14 November 2012.</ref> Bangalter said that the personas were initially the result of shyness, but that they became exciting for the audience, "the idea of being an average guy with some kind of superpower".<ref name="Mixmag 2006" /> He described it as an advanced version of glam, "where it's definitely not you".<ref name="Mixmag 2006" /> After Daft Punk's split, Bangalter likened the robot personas to a "like a Marina Abramović performance art installation that lasted for 20 years".<ref name="Savage-2023" /> He denied that the robots represented "an unquestioning embrace of digital culture", and said: "We tried to use these machines to express something extremely moving that a machine cannot feel, but a human can. We were always on the side of humanity and not on the side of technology."<ref name="Savage-2023" />

Media appearances

File:Daftpunkanimated.jpg

Daft Punk's cameo in Interstella 5555

Daft Punk's popularity has been partially attributed to their appearances in mainstream media.<ref name="Mixmag 2006" /> They appeared with Juliette Lewis in an advertisement for Gap, featuring the single "Digital Love", and were contractually obliged to appear only in Gap clothing. In 2001, Daft Punk appeared in an advertisement on Cartoon Network's Toonami timeslot, promoting the official Toonami website and the animated music videos for their album Discovery.<ref name="ToonamiDaft" /> The music videos later appeared as scenes in the feature-length film Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, in which Daft Punk make a cameo appearance as their robot alter-egos. They appeared in a television advertisement wearing their Discovery-era headgear to promote Sony Ericsson's Premini mobile phone. In 2010, Daft Punk appeared in Adidas advertisements promoting a Star Wars clothing line.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Daft Punk made a cameo in Tron: Legacy as nightclub DJs.<ref name="Pitchfork-2010" />

File:Daftpunkkastljos.jpg

Daft Punk being interviewed on the Icelandic television show Kastljós on Sjónvarpið

In 2011, Coca-Cola distributed limited edition bottles designed by Daft Punk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk and Courtney Love were photographed for the "Music Project" of the fashion house Yves Saint Laurent. They appeared in their new sequined suits custom-made by Hedi Slimane, holding and playing instruments with bodies made of lucite.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed In 2013, Bandai released Daft Punk action figures coinciding with the release of Random Access Memories in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk made a rare public appearance at the 2013 Monaco Grand Prix in May on behalf of the Lotus F1 Team, who raced in cars emblazoned with the Daft Punk logo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Footage of Daft Punk's 2006 performance at the Coachella Festival was featured in the documentary film Coachella: 20 Years in the Desert, released on YouTube in April 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Daft Punk were scheduled to appear on 6 August 2013 episode of The Colbert Report to promote Random Access Memories, but this was canceled because of contractual obligations regarding their appearance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. According to Stephen Colbert, Daft Punk were unaware of the agreement and were halted by MTV executives the morning prior to the taping.<ref name="ColbertVMA">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, Daft Punk appeared alongside several other musicians to announce their co-ownership of the music service Tidal at its relaunch.<ref>Tidal Owners Including Jay Z, Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, Kanye West, Jack White, & Madonna Share The Stage At Launch Event Template:Webarchive. Stereogum. Retrieved 24 April 2017.</ref>

Eden, a 2014 French drama film, has as its protagonist a techno fan-turned-DJ-turned recovering addict. It features Daft Punk (portrayed by actors) during different stages of their careers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Daft Punk also appear in Pharrell Williams's 2024 biographical film Piece by Piece.<ref name="INT">Template:Cite web</ref>

Legacy

Daft Punk are regarded as one of the most influential dance acts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Petridis-2021">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2021, the chief Guardian music critic, Alexis Petridis, named them the most influential pop artists of the 21st century.<ref name="Petridis-2021" /> In the same year, Pitchfork named them one of the most important artists of the preceding 25 years, writing: "It’s impossible to imagine contemporary electronic dance music without Daft Punk ... they helped instil a philosophy of self-reinvention that would resonate with generations of musicians across electronic music, rock, hip-hop, and beyond."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Daft Punk collaborator Pharrell Williams said they were responsible for the rise of contemporary EDM, though Bangalter said only that other acts were using "gimmicks that at the time [Daft Punk used them] were not really gimmicks".<ref name="Petridis-2021" /> The New York Times credited Daft Punk with helping make dance music mainstream.<ref name="Woolfe-2023" /> In 2008, Daft Punk were voted the 38th-greatest DJs in a worldwide poll by DJ Mag.<ref>DJmag.com: Top 100 DJs – Results & History Template:Webarchive djmag.com. Retrieved 31 August 2007.</ref> In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Daft Punk the 12th-greatest musical duo.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In "Losing My Edge" (2002), the first single by LCD Soundsystem, the singer, James Murphy, jokingly brags about being the first to "play Daft Punk to the rock kids".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Another LCD Soundsystem single, "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House", reached No. 29 in the UK and was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While accepting her British Dance Act award at the Brit Awards 2025, Charli XCX named Daft Punk as an influence.<ref name="charli sweep">Template:Cite web</ref> The French musician Madeon learnt about music production by reverse-engineering Daft Punk sounds, and cited their creative use of a cheap DigiTech pedal on Human After All as an example of their "genius, creativity and intuition [... ] They made an entire album using that pedal and it’s a cheap $50 pedal that nobody gave the time of day at the time."<ref name="Madeon">Template:Cite web</ref> Baicalellia daftpunka, a species of flatworm, was named after Daft Punk in 2018 for its partial resemblance to a helmet.<ref name="Stephenson et al., 2018">Template:Cite journal</ref> In February 2024, Madame Tussauds New York unveiled their wax figures of Daft Punk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Covers and samples

Daft Punk tracks have been sampled or covered by other artists. "Technologic" was sampled by Swizz Beatz for the Busta Rhymes song "Touch It". In a later remix of "Touch It", the line "touch it, bring it, pay it, watch it, turn it, leave it, start, format it" from "Technologic" was sung by the rapper Missy Elliott. Kanye West's 2007 track "Stronger" interpolates the melody and features a vocal sample of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", and Daft Punk's robotic costumes appeared in the music video.<ref name="Billboard" /> "Daftendirekt" was sampled in the Janet Jackson song "So Much Betta" from her 2008 album Discipline.<ref name="Janet">Janet Jackson Samples Daft Punk Template:Webarchive Stereogum. Retrieved 7 March 2008.</ref>

The track "Aerodynamic" was sampled for Wiley's 2008 single "Summertime".<ref>Grime Music Cleans Up in the Charts Template:Webarchive The Independent. Retrieved 21 August 2008.</ref> "Veridis Quo" from Discovery was sampled for the Jazmine Sullivan 2008 song "Dream Big".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> "Around the World" was sampled for JoJo's 2009 song "You Take Me (Around the World)". The song "Cowboy George" by the Fall contains a clip of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The a cappella group Pentatonix performed a medley of Daft Punk songs.<ref>Daft Punk – Pentatonix Template:Webarchive. YouTube. Retrieved 6 December 2014.</ref> As of November 2021, the video had been viewed over 355 million times. The medley won Best Arrangement, Instrumental or a Cappella at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees Template:Webarchive. National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 6 December 2014.</ref> Daft Punk's "Technologic" was also interpolated in Charli XCX's 2024 song "Guess".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A remix of "Guess" featuring Billie Eilish won Song of the Year at the Brit Awards 2025,<ref name="charli sweep" /> and was nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Daft Punk medley was played at the 2017 Bastille Day parade by a French military band, in front of French President Emmanuel Macron and his guests, which included US President Donald Trump.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

• Homework (1997)
• Discovery (2001)
• Human After All (2005)
• Random Access Memories (2013)

Concert tours

• Daftendirektour (1997)
• Alive 2007 (2006–07)

Awards and nominations

Template:MainIn October 2011, Daft Punk placed 28th in a "top-100 DJs of 2011" list by DJ Magazine after placing in the 44th position the year before.<ref>DJ Mag Top 100 DJs of 2011 Template:Webarchive djmag.com. Retrieved 14 November 2012.</ref><ref>DJ Mag Top 100 DJs of 2012 Template:Webarchive djmag.com. Retrieved 14 November 2012.</ref> On 19 January 2012, Daft Punk ranked No. 2 on Mixmag's Greatest Dance Acts of All Time, with The Prodigy at No. 1 by just a few points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

References

Notes Template:Reflist

Bibliography

• Tony Gaenic, Daft Punk de A à Z, l'Étudiant, les guides MusicBook, 2002, p. 115, Template:ISBN
• Pauline Guéna, Anne-Sophie Jahn, DAFT, Éditions Grasset, 2022, p. 216, Template:ISBN
• Stéphane Jourdain, French Touch, le Castor Astral, Castormusic, 2005, p. 189, Template:ISBN
• Philippe Poirrier, Daft Punk, la Toile et le disco. Revival culturel à l'heure du numérique, French Cultural Studies, 2015, p. 381
• Violaine Schütz, Daft Punk, l'histoire d'un succès planétaire, Scali, 2008, Template:ISBN
• Peter Shapiro, Modulations, une histoire de la musique électronique, éditions Allia, 2004, p. 340, Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Discogs artist
• Daft Punk discography at MusicTea
• Template:MusicBrainz artist
• Template:AllMusic
• Daft Punk on Eurochannel